- By Barrister Usman Ali, Ph.D.
There was a time when the University of Peshawar symbolized the intellectual prestige, cultural dignity, and scholarly excellence of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Built upon the illustrious legacy of Islamia College Peshawar, this institution not only served the province but gifted the entire country with statesmen, scientists, researchers, educationists, lawyers, judges, bureaucrats, poets, and writers. Established at the request of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the university remained a beacon of light in the region for decades, dispersing the illumination of knowledge even amidst darkness.
But today, in 2025, that very institution has fallen into severe decline, gripped by administrative failure, financial collapse, and rampant political interference, all fueled by government apathy. Both the university administration and the provincial government have failed entirely in their duty to safeguard this once-prestigious institution. Mismanagement, incompetence, and politicization have rocked the foundation of this academic stronghold.
The University of Peshawar is currently facing an unprecedented financial crisis. Most painful is the fact that the teachers and staff who dedicated their lives to serving this institution have now been denied their pensions in old age. Although the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government ordered all salaries and pensions to be disbursed by May 30, the university administration once again refused to release the rightful dues of pensioners in Grade 17 and above. This is no longer an isolated lapse, it has become routine. Pension delays of a month or longer are now standard practice, signaling a deep-rooted institutional failure.
Most of the university’s retired professors are highly educated, having studied at some of the world’s leading academic institutions. They had countless opportunities to settle abroad and pursue financial gain but instead chose to remain in their homeland and dedicate their lives to educating its children. Tragically, these very individuals are now deprived of even the most basic financial right, pension and are forced to submit appeals and applications just to claim what is rightfully theirs. These are not merely elderly citizens; they are respected educators now battling age-related health issues. For many, the pension is not merely a financial benefit, it is their sole means of survival. Without it, they are unable to meet even the basic necessities of life. Their families, too, are suffering under severe financial pressure and emotional strain, an outrageous reflection of the cruelty and indifference of those in power.
This hardship is not limited to pensioners alone. The current serving faculty and staff are also enduring the anguish of delayed or staggered salary payments, with a direct and damaging impact on the academic environment. The university’s teaching system and research activities have suffered significantly. When educators themselves face financial insecurity, how can they be expected to nurture young minds and advance learning?
The university’s autonomy, once its defining strength has now become a thing of the past. There was a time when decisions regarding the appointment of vice chancellors, budget approvals, and policy direction were made through consultation with academic boards and experts. Now, all such decisions have been subordinated, by legislation to the authority of the Chief Minister and cabinet ministers. This move is a blatant violation of academic freedom, merit, transparency, and institutional integrity. In the past, after much deliberation, scholars and policymakers ensured that universities were insulated from political interference by granting them autonomy, with the provincial governor serving as their chancellor. But today, the current Chief Minister, whose association with scholarship is tenuous at best, has brought universities under direct government control, opening the floodgates to political meddling. These already struggling institutions are being pushed further toward collapse.
This political interference has led to widespread educational decay across the province. Alongside the University of Peshawar, several other universities are now either closed or on the verge of closure due to financial mismanagement, corruption, and administrative chaos.
All of this has unfolded under the same political party that has been in power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the past ten years. It has failed disastrously in the fields of education, health, and basic public services. Financial irregularities involving billions of rupees and high-profile corruption scandals have come to light, but no action has been taken, no one has been punished, and no accountability has been enforced. In practice, the province’s accountability system has completely collapsed. Rather than addressing internal governance issues, the ruling party has chosen to remain engaged in constant confrontation with the federal government, leading protests, organizing political campaigns, and waging rhetorical battles across the media. State resources, meant for public welfare, education, and healthcare are instead being squandered on political rallies, propaganda, and media theatrics. The decline of the University of Peshawar is a living, breathing symbol of this political apathy , an institution tumbling into the abyss while the government remains entirely disengaged.
This entire situation is a tragedy for a province like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, underdeveloped, vulnerable, and burdened with an already fragile education system. A region already grappling with insecurity, unemployment, poverty, and educational backwardness cannot afford such criminal negligence. Ignoring the education sector in such a context is not merely short-sighted, it is unforgivable.
The time has come to break the silence surrounding this continuous decline. Teachers, pensioners, students, civil society, the media, and the judiciary must all treat this crisis with the urgency it demands. Education is not just another government department, it is the future of a nation. The downfall of an institution like the University of Peshawar is not merely an isolated institutional failure, it is a symptom of the broader decay of our societal system. If we do not make sincere efforts to save this institution, if we fail to act decisively and immediately, this decline will deepen into permanent darkness and our future generations will grow up without knowledge, without direction, and without hope.
Recently, a new Vice Chancellor, Professor Dr. Johar Ali, has been appointed at the University of Peshawar. He is known as a seasoned academic and an experienced administrator. If he is granted the freedom to act and is fully supported, there is reason to hope that he may be able to lead meaningful reform.
Saving the University of Peshawar is not just about preserving an academic institution, it is about protecting our society, our systems, and our shared future.